This 17th-century palace was built in 1636 AD by King Thirumalai Nayakar of Madurai. Built in a classic fusion of Italian and Rajput styles.

The original Palace Complex was four times bigger than the present structure. In its heydays, the palace was considered to be one of the wonders of south India.

What you see now is the remaining of the original (almost 1/4th) palace. Tirumala Nayaka's grandson, cannibalised the material from this palace - mostly carved wood, brick and stones- to build an even ambitious palace in Tiruchirapalli. That project did not succeed. What's left is the shadow of an otherwise fabulous architectural piece.